Coating device

Abstract

To provide a coating device, the adjustment work of which is simple.SOLUTION: A precision stone 15 is provided on a coating support base 10 via a leveling block 16. The precision stone 15 is made by precision machining of stone materials such as granite. The flatness of the top face of the precision stone 15 is 10 μm or less. High flatness can be achieved also for the top face of an application plate 20 by a simple adjustment work of attaching the application plate 20 on the top face of the precision stone 15. The tilt of the precision stone 15 is adjusted by the leveling block 16. An inlet plate 40 and an inlet frame part 35 are assembled, as a module, on a stone surface plate installed separately from a coating device 1, and the module is mounted to span an inlet support base 30 and the coating support base 10. Similarly, an outlet plate 60 and an outlet frame part 55 are assembled, as a module, and the module is mounted on a guide rail 69.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a coating apparatus that coats a treatment liquid such as a resist liquid on the upper surface of a substrate while levitating and transporting the substrate, including, for example, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, a glass substrate for an organic electroluminescence display device, a glass substrate for a plasma display panel, or a glass substrate for a photomask. [Background technology]

[0002] In the manufacturing process of liquid crystal display devices, etc., a coating device is used that supplies a processing liquid such as a resist liquid to the surface of a substrate and coats the processing liquid on the substrate. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a coating device that supplies a strip of resist liquid from a nozzle while transporting the substrate in a floating state, thereby uniformly coating the resist liquid on the upper surface of the substrate.

[0003] In the coating apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the levitation stage for levitating and transporting the substrate is divided into multiple stage blocks, and one or more stage blocks are attached to a base that can be transported independently. Each stage block is attached to the base via an adjustment mechanism for height adjustment that includes multiple supports and adjusters. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-182308 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the coating device described in Patent Document 1, since it is necessary to eliminate differences in level between stage blocks, the height of each stage block is adjusted by manually operating an adjustment mechanism. However, adjusting the numerous adjustment mechanisms on the stand places a heavy burden on the worker and reduces work efficiency.

[0006] In particular, the stage blocks that make up the coating area, which requires high precision, have significantly more adjustment mechanisms than other stage blocks, which makes adjustment work complicated and requires a great deal of labor.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a coating device that requires only a simple adjustment operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a first aspect of the present invention provides a coating device that coats an upper surface of a substrate with a processing liquid while levitating and transporting the substrate, the coating device comprising: a coating support table; a block body that is mounted on the coating support table and has a flat upper surface; a coating plate that is attached to the upper surface of the block body and sprays gas upward to levitate the substrate; a slit nozzle that supplies the processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate that is levitated and transported on the coating plate; and an inclination adjustment mechanism that adjusts the inclination of the upper surface of the block body with respect to a horizontal plane.

[0009] In a second aspect, in the coating device according to the first aspect, the block body is made of stone.

[0010] In addition, a third aspect is the coating device according to the second aspect, wherein the stone material is granite.

[0011] In addition, in a fourth aspect, in the coating device according to any one of the first to third aspects, the flatness of the upper surface of the block body is 10 μm or less.

[0012] In addition, a fifth aspect is the coating apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the tilt adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of leveling blocks.

[0013] In addition, a sixth aspect is a coating apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, further comprising: an entrance support table provided upstream of the coating support table along the transport direction of the substrate; an exit support table provided downstream of the coating support table along the transport direction of the substrate; an entrance frame portion at least partially placed on the entrance support table; an exit frame portion at least partially placed on the exit support table; an entrance plate attached to the entrance frame portion and spraying gas upward to levitate the substrate; an exit plate attached to the exit frame portion and spraying gas upward to levitate the substrate; a first height adjustment mechanism that adjusts the height of the entrance plate relative to the entrance frame portion; and a second height adjustment mechanism that adjusts the height of the exit plate relative to the exit frame portion, and the substrate is transported in a levitated manner from above the entrance plate, over the coating plate, to the exit plate.

[0014] In addition, a seventh aspect is a coating device according to the sixth aspect, wherein the entrance support stand and the exit support stand are each spaced at a distance of 50 cm or more and 1 m or less from the coating support stand, the entrance frame portion is hung from the entrance support stand to the coating support stand, and the entrance plate is connected to the coating plate, and the exit frame portion is hung from the exit support stand to the coating support stand, and the exit plate is connected to the coating plate.

[0015] According to an eighth aspect, in the coating apparatus according to the seventh aspect, the coating apparatus further includes a mechanism that enables the outlet frame portion and the outlet plate to be drawn out toward the downstream side in the transport direction of the substrate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the coating device of the first to eighth aspects, the coating plate is attached to the upper surface of a block body having a flat upper surface, so that a high degree of flatness can be obtained for the upper surface of the coating plate with a simple adjustment operation.

[0017] In particular, in the application device according to the second aspect, the block body is made of stone, which makes it relatively easy to process, and there is almost no thermal expansion or contraction due to temperature changes.

[0018] In particular, in the coating device according to the fifth aspect, the tilt adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of leveling blocks, which allows fine adjustment of the tilt of the block body, and makes it possible to make the upper surface of the block body a horizontal plane.

[0019] In particular, according to the coating device of the eighth aspect, the outlet frame portion and the outlet plate can be pulled out toward the downstream side in the substrate transport direction, thereby improving work efficiency during maintenance, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a substrate processing system including a coating apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a coating apparatus according to the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view of an inlet plate, an outlet plate, and a coating plate as viewed from above. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view of the coating device as seen from the position of the coating plate. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the precision stone seen from above. [Figure 6] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating the configuration and operation of a leveling block. [Figure 7] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating the configuration and operation of a leveling block. [Figure 8] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which an inlet plate is attached to an inlet frame portion by an adjustment bolt. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a view showing a state in which the outlet frame portion and the outlet plate are pulled out. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of a coating device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, expressions indicating relative or absolute positional relationships (e.g., "in one direction," "along one direction," "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," "concentric," "coaxial," etc.) not only strictly represent the positional relationship but also represent a state of relative angular or distance displacement within a tolerance or a range that provides equivalent functionality, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, expressions indicating an equal state (e.g., "identical," "equal," "homogeneous," etc.) not only represent a state of strict quantitative equality but also represent a state of difference that provides a tolerance or equivalent functionality, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, expressions indicating a shape (e.g., "circular," "square," "cylindrical," etc.) not only represent a geometrically strict shape but also represent a shape within a range that provides equivalent functionality, such as irregularities or chamfers, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, expressions such as "comprise," "comprise," "include," "have," etc., regarding components, are not exclusive expressions that exclude the presence of other components. Furthermore, the expression "at least one of A, B, and C" includes "A only," "B only," "C only," "any two of A, B, and C," and "all of A, B, and C."

[0022] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a substrate processing system including a coating apparatus according to the present invention. This substrate processing system includes a coating apparatus 1 that coats a substrate G with a processing liquid such as a resist solution, a pre-processing apparatus 2 that performs pre-processing before the coating process performed by the coating apparatus 1, and a post-processing apparatus 3 that performs post-processing after the coating process. The substrate G to be processed is, for example, a flat, rectangular glass substrate, measuring, for example, 2160 mm × 2460 mm (G8). Note that in FIG. 1 and the following figures, the dimensions and number of components are exaggerated or simplified as necessary for ease of understanding. Also, in FIG. 2 and the following figures, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is appropriately used to clarify the directional relationships between the components, with the Z-axis direction defined as the vertical direction and the XY plane defined as the horizontal plane.

[0023] The pre-processing performed by the pre-processing device 2 includes, for example, a cleaning process for cleaning the surface of the substrate G, and a drying process for drying the substrate G after cleaning. The substrate G is transported from the pre-processing device 2 to the coating device 1, for example, by rotating a number of rollers. As will be described in detail later, the coating device 1 supplies and coats a processing liquid (resist liquid in this embodiment) on the upper surface of the substrate G while floating and transporting the substrate G.

[0024] On the other hand, post-processing performed by the post-processing device 3 includes, for example, a reduced pressure drying process in which the resist solution coated on the substrate G is dried by reducing the pressure, and a heat treatment (pre-bake) in which components contained in the resist solution are solidified to form a resist film on the substrate G. The post-processing device 3 carries out the substrate G after the coating process from the coating device 1 by, for example, a transfer robot.

[0025] 2 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a coating apparatus 1 according to the present invention. This coating apparatus 1 is a slit coater that levitates a substrate G and transports it in the direction indicated by arrow AR1 (in the +X direction), while coating the upper surface of the substrate G with a resist liquid. The coating apparatus 1 includes three support stages, three floating plates supported by the support stages, a slit nozzle 70, and a control unit 90.

[0026] The three supports, namely, the coating support 10, the entrance support 30, and the exit support 50, are installed in a row (along the X direction) on a flat floor 7 in a factory, for example. The distance between the entrance support 30 and the coating support 10, and the distance between the exit support 50 and the coating support 10 are both 50 cm or more and 1 m or less. Therefore, people can fit between the entrance support 30 and the coating support 10, and between the exit support 50 and the coating support 10. Each of the coating support 10, the entrance support 30, and the exit support 50 is constructed by a frame made of, for example, stainless steel. The frames of the coating support 10, the entrance support 30, and the exit support 50 house, for example, motors, tanks of processing liquid, etc.

[0027] The application support stand 10, the entrance support stand 30, and the exit support stand 50 each have a plurality of legs 11, 31, and 51, and are installed on the floor surface 7 via these legs 11, 31, and 51. The heights of the legs 11, 31, and 51 are adjustable, which allows the application support stand 10, the entrance support stand 30, and the exit support stand 50 to be leveled.

[0028] A precision stone 15 is provided on the middle coating support stand 10 of the three support stands, and a coating plate 20 is attached to the upper surface of the precision stone 15. An entrance plate 40 is provided via an entrance frame part 35 on an entrance support stand 30 installed upstream (-X side) of the coating support stand 10 in the transport direction of the substrate G. Furthermore, an exit plate 60 is provided via an exit frame part 55 on an exit support stand 50 installed downstream (+X side) of the coating support stand 10 in the transport direction of the substrate G. Each of the entrance plate 40 and the exit plate 60 may be divided into multiple plates.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the entrance plate 40, the exit plate 60, and the coating plate 20, as viewed from above. The entrance plate 40, the exit plate 60, and the coating plate 20 are each a box-shaped stage made of aluminum (Al). The entrance plate 40 and the exit plate 60 have a thickness (length along the Z direction) of, for example, 30 mm. The coating plate 20 has a thickness of, for example, 50 mm. The entrance plate 40 and the coating plate 20 are arranged in contact with each other with essentially no gap (in FIGS. 1 and 3, a small gap is provided for the convenience of illustrating the two plates). The difference in level between the upper surfaces of the entrance plate 40 and the coating plate 20 is several tens of micrometers or less. Similarly, the exit plate 60 and the coating plate 20 are also arranged in contact with each other with essentially no gap. The difference in level between the upper surfaces of the exit plate 60 and the coating plate 20 is also several tens of micrometers or less. The entrance plate 40, sandwiching the coating plate 20, and the exit plate 60 are arranged in a connected state with virtually no gaps between them, and the entrance plate 40, coating plate 20 and exit plate 60 form a floating plate that floats the substrate G.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3 , the inlet plate 40 has a plurality of jet ports 41 formed in a uniform arrangement pattern and density. Similarly, the outlet plate 60 has a plurality of jet ports 61 formed in a uniform arrangement pattern and density. Meanwhile, the coating plate 20 has a plurality of jet ports 21 and suction ports 22 formed in a uniform arrangement pattern and density. The plurality of jet ports 21 and the plurality of suction ports 22 are formed without bias and with a uniform density across the entire surface of the coating plate 20. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 , it is preferable to form the jet ports 21 and the suction ports 22 alternately in a grid pattern. Typically, the density of the jet ports 21 and the suction ports 22 in the coating plate 20 is higher than the densities of the jet ports 41 and 61 in the inlet plate 40 and the outlet plate 60.

[0031] An air supply mechanism 81 is connected to each of the inlet plate 40 and the outlet plate 60 via an air supply pipe. The air supply mechanism 81 supplies high-pressure air to each of the inlet plate 40 and the outlet plate 60. The high-pressure air supplied to the inlet plate 40 is evenly distributed to the multiple outlets 41 and ejected upward from each outlet 41. Similarly, the high-pressure air supplied to the outlet plate 60 is evenly distributed to the multiple outlets 61 and ejected upward from each outlet 61.

[0032] On the other hand, an air supply mechanism 81 is connected to the coating plate 20 via an air supply pipe, and a suction mechanism 82 is connected via an exhaust pipe. The air supply mechanism 81 supplies high-pressure air to the coating plate 20, and the suction mechanism 82 applies a negative pressure suction force to the coating plate 20. Inside the coating plate 20, a manifold and an air flow path for evenly distributing the high-pressure air supplied from the air supply mechanism 81 to the multiple jet ports 21, and a manifold and an air flow path for evenly distributing the negative pressure suction force applied by the suction mechanism 82 to the multiple suction ports 22 are provided separately and independently. The high-pressure air supplied from the air supply mechanism 81 to the coating plate 20 is evenly distributed to the multiple jet ports 21 and sprayed upward from each jet port 21. The negative pressure suction force applied to the coating plate 20 by the suction mechanism 82 is evenly distributed to the multiple suction ports 22, and negative pressure acts on each suction port 22. That is, on the upper surface of the coating plate 20, high-pressure air is ejected from the plurality of ejection ports 21, and negative pressure suction force is generated from the plurality of suction ports 22.

[0033] Returning to FIG. 2, the coating plate 20 is mounted on the coating support table 10, sandwiching a precision stone 15 having a flat upper surface. The precision stone 15 is a precisely machined rectangular parallelepiped stone material. The precision stone 15 is formed, for example, from granite. The size of the precision stone 15 is, for example, 2000 mm in width (length in the Y direction), 500 mm in length (length in the X direction), and 300 mm in height (length in the Z direction). The width of the precision stone 15 may be set appropriately depending on the size of the substrate G to be processed. Each surface of the rectangular parallelepiped of the precision stone 15 is finished by high-precision surface grinding. In particular, the flatness of the top surface of the precision stone 15 is set to 3 μm or more and 10 μm or less (5 μm in this embodiment). Note that flatness refers to the deviation of the planar shape from a geometrically correct plane; simply put, it is the difference in height between the most protruding and most recessed parts of the top surface of the precision stone 15.

[0034] The precision stone 15 made of granite stone hardly expands or contracts due to temperature changes. Stone is also relatively easy to process, making it suitable as a material for high-precision surface finishing.

[0035] The coating plate 20 is fastened to the top surface of the precision stone 15, for example, by screws. Shim tape may be sandwiched between the precision stone 15 and the coating plate 20. The flatness of the top surface of the precision stone 15 significantly affects the flatness of the top surface of the coating plate 20 attached thereto. By attaching the coating plate 20 to the top surface of the precision stone 15, which has a flatness of 10 μm or less, the flatness of the top surface of the coating plate 20 also becomes a good, small value.

[0036] Fig. 4 is a side view of the coating device 1 as seen from the position of the coating plate 20. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the precision stone 15 as seen from above. As shown in Fig. 5, the precision stone 15 has a plurality of holes 14 drilled therethrough, penetrating vertically. An air supply pipe connecting the air supply mechanism 81 and the coating plate 20 or an exhaust pipe connecting the suction mechanism 82 and the coating plate 20 (see Fig. 3) passes through each of the holes 14.

[0037] The precision stone 15 is supported on the application support table 10 via three leveling blocks 16. That is, the precision stone 15 is supported at three points by the three leveling blocks 16. Each leveling block 16 is a component with adjustable height. Figures 6 and 7 show the structure and operation of the leveling block 16. The leveling block 16 includes an adjustment bolt 25, an inner block 26, and a pair of upper and lower outer blocks 27. The adjustment bolt 25 is connected to the inner block 26, and rotating the adjustment bolt 25 causes the inner block 26 to slide left and right. The outer surface of the inner block 26 and the inner surface of the outer block 27 are tapered to allow them to slide relative to each other. When the operator rotates the adjustment bolt 25 as indicated by arrow AR71, the inner block 26 moves toward the left side of the drawing as indicated by arrow AR72. Accordingly, the distance between the pair of outer blocks 27 widens as indicated by arrow AR73. When the operator rotates the adjustment bolt 25 in the opposite direction, the inner block 26 moves to the right side of the drawing, narrowing the gap between the pair of outer blocks 27. Such a leveling block 16 has the advantage of being able to withstand a heavy load with a small operating torque and allowing for fine height adjustment.

[0038] Three leveling blocks 16 are installed on the application support table 10 in the positional relationship shown in FIG. 5. A precision stone 15 is placed on the outer block 27 of each of the three leveling blocks 16. The operator adjusts the height of each of the three leveling blocks 16 independently by individually rotating the adjustment bolts 25 of the three leveling blocks 16. This allows the inclination of the precision stone 15 relative to the horizontal plane to be adjusted. In this embodiment, the inclination of the precision stone 15 is adjusted so that the top surface of the precision stone 15 is parallel to the horizontal plane. In other words, the three leveling blocks 16 form an inclination adjustment mechanism that adjusts the inclination of the precision stone 15.

[0039] Returning to FIG. 2 , the application plate 20 is supported by the precision stone 15, while the inlet plate 40 and the outlet plate 60 are supported by the inlet frame 35 and the outlet frame 55, respectively. Both the inlet frame 35 and the outlet frame 55 are formed by assembling frames made of, for example, stainless steel. Both the inlet frame 35 and the outlet frame 55 may be formed by connecting multiple frame structures. If the inlet plate 40 and the outlet plate 60 are divided into multiple plates, the inlet frame 35 and the outlet frame 55 may be formed by connecting frame structures corresponding to the divided plates.

[0040] In this embodiment, a portion of the entrance frame portion 35 is placed on the entrance support base 30, but the (+X) side end of the entrance frame portion 35 is placed on the coating support base 10. That is, the entrance frame portion 35 is suspended from the entrance support base 30 to the coating support base 10, and the entrance plate 40 is connected to the coating plate 20. Similarly, a portion of the exit frame portion 55 is placed on the exit support base 50, but the (-X) side end of the exit frame portion 55 is placed on the coating support base 10. That is, the exit frame portion 55 is suspended from the exit support base 50 to the coating support base 10, and the exit plate 60 is connected to the coating plate 20. In other words, the entrance plate 40 and the exit plate 60 are supported by a bridge structure, and the entrance frame portion 35 and the exit frame portion 55 function as bridge girders.

[0041] The inlet plate 40 is attached to the inlet frame portion 35 via a plurality of adjustment bolts 45. Similarly, the outlet plate 60 is attached to the outlet frame portion 55 via a plurality of adjustment bolts 65. Figure 8 shows the inlet plate 40 attached to the inlet frame portion 35 by the adjustment bolts 45. An operator can adjust the gap between the inlet plate 40 and the inlet frame portion 35 by turning the threads of the adjustment bolts 45. The operator can adjust the gap by appropriately operating the plurality of adjustment bolts 45 to ensure flatness of the top surface of the inlet plate 40 and to make the top surface horizontal.

[0042] Similarly, the worker can adjust the gap between the outlet plate 60 and the outlet frame portion 55 by operating the adjustment bolts 65. By appropriately operating the multiple adjustment bolts 65, the worker obtains flatness of the upper surface of the outlet plate 60 and adjusts the flat surface to a horizontal plane. Note that with the adjustment bolts 45, 65, the amount of movement of the threaded portion is the adjustment amount as is, so the adjustment precision is inevitably coarser than with the leveling block 16 described above.

[0043] Furthermore, the outlet frame 55 and the outlet plate 60 can be pulled out toward the downstream side (+X side) in the transport direction of the substrate G. Specifically, the inlet frame 35 is simply placed on the inlet support table 30 and the coating support table 10, whereas the outlet frame 55 is placed on guide rails 69 that are stretched across the outlet support table 50 and the coating support table 10. This allows the outlet frame 55 and the outlet plate 60 to be pulled out toward the downstream side in the transport direction of the substrate G along the guide rails 69.

[0044] 9 is a diagram showing the state in which the outlet frame unit 55 and the outlet plate 60 are pulled out. A gap of 50 cm or more and 1 m or less is provided between the outlet support stand 50 and the coating support stand 10. Therefore, by pulling out the outlet frame unit 55 and the outlet plate 60 along the guide rails 69 to the downstream side in the transport direction of the substrate G, a space large enough for one worker to fit between the outlet support stand 50 and the coating support stand 10 appears.

[0045] A slit nozzle 70 is provided above the coating plate 20 (FIGS. 2 and 4). The slit nozzle 70 is a long nozzle that extends along the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the substrate G. A processing liquid (resist liquid in this embodiment) is supplied to the slit nozzle 70 from a processing liquid supply mechanism (not shown). The resist liquid supplied to the slit nozzle 70 is discharged in a strip-like shape downward from a slit-shaped discharge port formed at the lower end of the slit nozzle 70. The width (length in the Y direction) of the slit-shaped discharge port is approximately the same as the width of the substrate G.

[0046] The slit nozzle 70 is movable by a drive mechanism (not shown) above the coating plate 20 along the transport direction (X direction) of the substrate G. Furthermore, the slit nozzle 70 is also movable up and down by a short distance.

[0047] Substrate transport units 75 are provided on both the left and right sides of a floating plate made up of the entrance plate 40, the coating plate 20, and the exit plate 60 (FIGS. 2 and 4). The substrate transport unit 75 includes a pair of left and right base units 76 and a suction holder 77. The base units 76 are capable of linear movement along the X direction by travel guides and linear motors (neither of which is shown) arranged parallel to the floating plate on both sides of the floating plate. The suction holder 77 is provided on the base units 76. A suction pad is provided on the upper end of the suction holder 77.

[0048] When transporting a substrate, the suction holding portion 77 of the substrate transport unit 75 comes into contact with the four corners of the underside of the rectangular substrate G that is floated by the floating plate. By applying negative pressure to the suction pads of the suction holding portion 77, the substrate transport unit 75 suction-holds the four corners of the floating substrate G. Then, in this state, the substrate transport unit 75 travels in the X direction using the linear motor, so that the substrate G is floated and transported above the floating plate.

[0049] The control unit 90 of the coating apparatus 1 controls various operating mechanisms provided in the coating apparatus 1. The hardware configuration of the control unit 90 is similar to that of a general computer. That is, the control unit 90 includes a CPU, which is a circuit that performs various arithmetic processing, a ROM, which is a read-only memory that stores basic programs, a RAM, which is a readable and writable memory that stores various information, and a storage unit (e.g., a magnetic disk or SSD) that stores control software, data, and the like. The processing in the coating apparatus 1 progresses as the CPU of the control unit 90 executes a predetermined processing program. Specifically, the control unit 90 controls the supply of high-pressure air to the inlet plate 40 and the outlet plate 60, the supply of high-pressure air and negative pressure suction force to the coating plate 20, the travel of the substrate transport unit 75, the supply of processing liquid to the slit nozzle 70, and the like.

[0050] When assembling the coating device 1, the precision stone 15 with the coating plate 20 attached is placed on three leveling blocks 16 installed on the coating support table 10, and an operator operates the three leveling blocks 16 to adjust the inclination of the top surface of the precision stone 15. In this embodiment, the inclination of the precision stone 15 is adjusted using the three leveling blocks 16 so that the top surface of the precision stone 15 is parallel to the horizontal plane. Because the leveling blocks 16 can be finely adjusted, the inclination of the precision stone 15 can be adjusted with high precision.

[0051] Furthermore, the entrance plate 40 and the entrance frame 35 are assembled as a module in a work location (e.g., on a stone surface plate) separate from the coating device 1, and the adjustment bolts 45 are adjusted to obtain flatness of the upper surface of the entrance plate 40 and make the upper surface horizontal. Compared to mounting the entrance plate 40 and the entrance frame 35 on the entrance support base 30 and then performing the adjustment work, assembling them as a module on a separate stone surface plate and performing the adjustment work can greatly improve work efficiency. Then, the installation work is completed by simply placing the entrance plate 40 and the entrance frame 35 assembled as a module so that they span the entrance support base 30 and the coating support base 10.

[0052] Similarly, the outlet plate 60 and the outlet frame portion 55 are assembled as a module in a work location separate from the coating apparatus 1, and the multiple adjustment bolts 65 are adjusted to obtain flatness of the upper surface of the outlet plate 60 and make that plane horizontal. Compared to performing the work after mounting the outlet plate 60 and the outlet frame portion 55 on the outlet support base 50, assembling them as a module on a separate stone surface plate and performing the adjustment work can greatly improve work efficiency. Then, the installation work is completed by simply placing the outlet plate 60 and the outlet frame portion 55 assembled as a module on the guide rails 69.

[0053] When processing a substrate G in the coating apparatus 1, first, the substrate G, which has been subjected to a pre-processing step (cleaning process, etc.) in the pre-processing device 2, is transported by rollers to the coating apparatus 1. In the coating apparatus 1, the substrate G is transported while being floated. Specifically, high-pressure air is supplied from the air supply mechanism 81 to each of the entrance plate 40, the exit plate 60, and the coating plate 20, and the suction mechanism 82 applies a negative pressure suction force to the coating plate 20.

[0054] The high-pressure air supplied from the air supply mechanism 81 to the inlet plate 40 is evenly distributed to the multiple outlets 41 and ejected upward from each of the outlets 41. Similarly, the high-pressure air supplied from the air supply mechanism 81 to the outlet plate 60 is evenly distributed to the multiple outlets 61 and ejected upward from each of the outlets 61. This causes the substrate G to float from the upper surfaces of the inlet plate 40 and the outlet plate 60.

[0055] Meanwhile, the high-pressure air supplied from the air supply mechanism 81 to the coating plate 20 is evenly distributed to the multiple jet ports 21 and sprayed upward from each jet port 21. At the same time, the negative pressure suction force applied to the coating plate 20 from the suction mechanism 82 is evenly distributed to the multiple suction ports 22, and a negative pressure that sucks in the surrounding atmosphere acts on each suction port 22. Therefore, on the coating plate 20, an upward pushing force acts on the substrate G due to the high-pressure air sprayed from the multiple jet ports 21, and at the same time, a downward pulling force acts on the substrate G due to the negative pressure suction force generated from the multiple suction ports 22. Due to the balance between the upward pushing force of the high-pressure air and the pulling force due to the negative pressure suction force, the substrate G floats at a constant distance from the upper surface of the coating plate 20, and as a result, the distance between the discharge port of the slit nozzle 70 and the substrate G is also constant.

[0056] The four corners of the substrate G floating above the entrance plate 40 are sucked and held by the suction holding units 77 of the substrate transport unit 75. The substrate transport unit 75 holds the floating substrate G and travels at a constant speed in the direction indicated by the arrow AR1 in Figure 2 (in the +X direction). The substrate transport unit 75 floats and transports the substrate G from the entrance plate 40, above the coating plate 20, to above the exit plate 60.

[0057] As the floating and transported substrate G passes above the coating plate 20, resist liquid is ejected downward in a strip shape from the slit nozzle 70. This causes the resist liquid to be coated on the upper surface of the substrate G being transported in the direction indicated by arrow AR1. At this time, the slit nozzle 70 may be stationary or may be moving along the X direction. When the slit nozzle 70 moves, it may move in the opposite direction to the transported substrate G (-X direction), or it may move in the same direction as the substrate G (+X direction) at a slower speed than the substrate G. In other words, any configuration may be used as long as the substrate G is moved relative to the slit nozzle 70 that ejects the resist liquid.

[0058] The substrate G coated with the resist liquid is floated and transported above the exit plate 60, and then carried out of the coating device 1 by the transport robot of the post-processing device 3. In the post-processing device 3, a reduced-pressure drying process is performed on the resist liquid coated on the substrate G, and a heat treatment is performed to solidify the components contained in the resist liquid and form a resist film on the substrate G.

[0059] In this embodiment, the coating plate 20 is attached to the upper surface of the precision stone 15, which has been precisely machined to a flat surface. The flatness of the upper surface of the precision stone 15 is 10 μm or less. Precision stone 15 made of stone such as granite can be relatively easily machined to a flatness of 10 μm or less. The upper surface of the coating plate 20 requires high flatness in order to lift the substrate G evenly and at a constant interval from the discharge port of the slit nozzle 70. While the flatness of the coating plate 20 was previously achieved by adjusting multiple adjustment mechanisms, in this embodiment, high flatness is achieved simply by attaching the coating plate 20 to the upper surface of the precision stone 15, which has been precisely machined to a flatness of 10 μm or less. In other words, high flatness of the upper surface of the coating plate 20 can be achieved with significantly simpler adjustment procedures than in the past.

[0060] Furthermore, stone materials such as granite are not only relatively easy to process, but also experience almost no thermal expansion or contraction due to temperature changes. Therefore, by attaching the coating plate 20 to the upper surface of the precision stone 15, the upper surface of the coating plate 20 can be stably maintained with a high degree of flatness.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inclination of the precision stone 15 is adjusted by three leveling blocks 16. The worker can make the top surface of the precision stone 15 parallel to the horizontal plane simply by operating the three leveling blocks 16. If the top surface of the precision stone 15 is horizontal, the top surface of the application plate 20 can also be made parallel to the horizontal plane. In other words, the top surface of the application plate 20 can be made horizontal with a relatively simple adjustment operation.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the entrance plate 40 and the entrance frame portion 35 are assembled as a module on a stone surface plate separate from the coating device 1, and the adjustment work of the multiple adjustment bolts 45 is performed, and then the module is placed so as to span the entrance support base 30 and the coating support base 10. In this way, compared to performing the adjustment work after mounting the entrance plate 40 and the entrance frame portion 35 on the coating device 1, the flatness of the upper surface of the entrance plate 40 can be obtained and the upper surface can be made horizontal through a simple adjustment work, and work efficiency is also greatly improved.

[0063] Similarly, the outlet plate 60 and the outlet frame portion 55 are assembled as a module on a stone surface plate separate from the coating device 1, and the adjustment work of the plurality of adjustment bolts 65 is performed, and then the module is placed on the guide rails 69. In this way, compared to performing the adjustment work after mounting the outlet plate 60 and the outlet frame portion 55 on the coating device 1, the flatness of the upper surface of the outlet plate 60 can be obtained and the upper surface can be made horizontal by a simple adjustment work, and work efficiency is also greatly improved.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the outlet frame 55 and the outlet plate 60 can be pulled out toward the downstream side (+X side) in the transport direction of the substrate G. By pulling out the outlet frame 55 and the outlet plate 60, a space large enough for one worker to fit in appears between the outlet support table 50 and the coating support table 10. This allows a worker to get in between the outlet support table 50 and the coating support table 10 and perform work on the coating plate 20, slit nozzle 70, etc., during maintenance of the coating apparatus 1, for example, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0065] The above describes an embodiment of the present invention, but various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the precision stone 15 is formed from a stone material such as granite, but this is not limited to this. Instead of the precision stone 15, a metal block with a flat top surface or a ceramic block with a flat top surface may be used. That is, the application plate 20 can be attached to a block with a flat top surface. However, since metal materials generally have a harder time achieving surface precision than stone, and ceramics are prone to chipping, it is preferable to use a precision stone 15 made of stone.

[0066] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the inclination of the precision stone 15 is adjusted using three leveling blocks 16, but the inclination of the precision stone 15 may be adjusted using four or more leveling blocks 16. The more leveling blocks 16 are used, the more finely the inclination of the precision stone 15 can be adjusted, but the adjustment work becomes more complicated.

[0067] Alternatively, the precision stone 15 may be supported at three points by one support member without height adjustment function and two leveling blocks 16. In this case, the tilt adjustment mechanism formed by the two leveling blocks 16 and one support member cannot adjust the height of the precision stone 15, but can only adjust the tilt of the precision stone 15.

[0068] Alternatively, a plurality of shims that do not have a height adjustment function may be sandwiched between the application support table 10 and the precision stone 15 so that the upper surface of the precision stone 15 is horizontal.

[0069] In the above embodiment, the coating plate 20 is supported by the precision stone 15, and the entrance plate 40 and the exit plate 60 are supported by the entrance frame 35 and the exit frame 55, respectively. However, this is not limited to this configuration; the entrance plate 40 and the exit plate 60 may also be supported by precision stones. Figure 10 shows another example of the coating device configuration. In the coating device 1a shown in Figure 10, in addition to the coating plate 20, the entrance plate 40 and the exit plate 60 are also supported by precision stones 15. As in the above embodiment, each precision stone 15 is a stone with a flat upper surface. Furthermore, each precision stone 15 is supported by multiple leveling blocks 16 to adjust its inclination. As shown in Figure 10, if the entrance plate 40, the exit plate 60, and the coating plate 20 are all supported by precision stones 15, the upper surfaces of all plates can be made highly flat with simple adjustments.

[0070] However, because the precision-machined granite precision stone 15 is relatively expensive, from the viewpoint of suppressing cost increases, it is preferable to support the coating plate 20 by the precision stone 15 and support the entrance plate 40 and the exit plate 60 by the entrance frame portion 35 and the exit frame portion 55, respectively, as in the above embodiment. The surface precision of the upper surfaces of the entrance plate 40 and the exit plate 60, which are adjusted by the entrance frame portion 35 and the exit frame portion 55 formed by assembling the frames and the adjustment bolts 45, 65, is inevitably lower than the surface precision of the upper surface of the coating plate 20 supported by the precision-machined precision stone 15. However, compared to the surface precision required for the coating plate 20 that applies coating treatment to the substrate G from the slit nozzle 70, the surface precision of the entrance plate 40 and the exit plate 60 can be lower; a surface precision sufficient to allow the substrate G to be floated and transported is sufficient.

[0071] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the outlet frame 55 and the outlet plate 60 are retractable toward the downstream side (+X side) in the transport direction of the substrate G, but the entrance frame 35 and the entrance plate 40 may be retractable toward the upstream side (-X side) in the transport direction of the substrate G. Specifically, for example, as in the above embodiment, guide rails are hung between the entrance support stand 30 and the coating support stand 10, and the entrance frame 35 and the entrance plate 40 are placed on the guide rails. In this way, for example, an operator can enter between the entrance support stand 30 and the coating support stand 10 during maintenance. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1,1a Coating device 10 Coating support stand 15 precision stone 16 Leveling Blocks 20 coating plates 30 Entrance support platform 35 Entrance frame section 40 Entrance Plate 45,65 Adjustment bolt 50 Exit support 55 Exit frame section 60 Exit Plate 69 Guide Rail 70 Slit nozzle 75 Substrate transport section 90 Control Unit G board

Claims

1. A coating apparatus that coats a processing liquid on an upper surface of a substrate while floating and transporting the substrate, A coating support table; a block body provided on the application support table and having a flat upper surface; a coating plate attached to the upper surface of the block body and ejecting gas upward to lift the substrate; a slit nozzle for supplying the treatment liquid to an upper surface of the substrate being floated and transported on the coating plate; an inclination adjustment mechanism for adjusting the inclination of the upper surface of the block body relative to a horizontal plane; A coating device comprising:

2. The coating device according to claim 1, The block body is an application device made of stone.

3. 3. The coating apparatus according to claim 2, The application device, wherein the stone material is granite.

4. The coating device according to claim 1, The flatness of the upper surface of the block body is 10 μm or less.

5. The coating device according to claim 1, The tilt adjustment mechanism of the coating apparatus includes a plurality of leveling blocks.

6. The coating device according to claim 1, an inlet support table provided upstream of the coating support table along the substrate transport direction; an outlet support table provided downstream of the coating support table along the substrate transport direction; an entrance frame portion at least a portion of which is placed on the entrance support base; an outlet frame portion at least a portion of which is placed on the outlet support base; an inlet plate attached to the inlet frame portion and ejecting gas upward to lift the substrate; an outlet plate attached to the outlet frame portion and ejecting gas upward to lift the substrate; a first height adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height of the inlet plate relative to the inlet frame portion; a second height adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height of the outlet plate relative to the outlet frame portion; Furthermore, The coating apparatus includes a coating device in which the substrate is transported in a floating manner from the entrance plate to the coating plate and then to the exit plate.

7. 7. The coating apparatus according to claim 6, the inlet support table and the outlet support table are each provided at a distance of 50 cm or more and 1 m or less from the application support table; the inlet frame portion is suspended from the inlet support base to the application support base, and the inlet plate is connected to the application plate; The outlet frame portion is suspended from the outlet support base to the application support base, and the outlet plate is connected to the application plate.

8. The coating device according to claim 7, The coating apparatus further includes a mechanism that enables the outlet frame portion and the outlet plate to be pulled out toward the downstream side in the substrate transport direction.

Images